Business Ethics and the Physical Environment

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers concepts related to environmental ethics, sustainability, global environmental issues, and Guyanese environmental legislation.

Sustainable business

Business that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs as defined by the Brundtland Commission.

Triple bottom line

A business model that focuses on three areas of benefit: people, planet, and profits.

Externalities

Side effects or by-products of actions that are not intended and often disregarded by businesses.

Climate change

Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily driven by human activities like burning fossil fuels since the $1800s$.

Nonrenewable energy sources

Energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas that were formed millions of years ago and cannot be replaced once depleted.

Water bankruptcy

A global crisis where human demand for water exceeds the fixed supply, affecting over $4$ billion people who face severe shortages at least one month per year.

Biodiversity

The variation of life forms inside an ecosystem, which serves as a key indicator of the system's health.

Land degradation

The decline in soil quality and land health caused by factors like desertification, deforestation, overgrazing, salinization, and soil acidification.

Toxic substances

Chemicals or compounds defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that may present an unreasonable threat to human health and the environment.

Acid rain

A mixture of wet and dry deposition from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids.

Source reduction

The best form of waste management where the amount of waste discarded is reduced so that waste is never generated in the first place.

Ozone

An oxygen-related gas that is harmful near the earth's surface but vital in the stratosphere for blocking dangerous ultraviolet radiation.

Watershed

An area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, aquifer, or ocean.

Greenhouse effect

An environmental condition aggravated by deforestation, as felled trees can no longer absorb $CO_2$ and may release it when burned.

Environmental ethics

A branch of ethical thought focusing on the relationship between humans and their natural environment, recognizing their interdependence and intrinsic value.

Preconventional level of environmental ethics

The 'infant' stage where humans or organizations are concerned only with themselves or their own species and habitats.

Postconventional level of environmental ethics

The 'adult' stage involving mature attitudes that are universal across species, durable across generations, and consistent in applying rights to all species.

Silent stakeholder

A term used by Sama, Welcomer, and Gerde to describe the natural environment within the framework of stakeholder theory.

Precautionary principle

The principle that precautions should be taken against environmental harm even when scientific evidence is inconclusive.

Environmental Protection Act 11 of 1996

Guyana's legislation providing for management, conservation, and protection of the environment and assessment of economic development impacts.

Protected Areas Act 14 of 2011

A Guyana law providing for the protection of natural heritage and the creation of a national system of protected areas, including the Kaieteur National Park.

Conservation International (Guyana)

An organization working in Guyana since $1989$ focusing on species conservation and supporting the national system of protected areas.